Musical instrument of the bassoon type



June 18, 1963 4 R. J. LINTON MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OF THE BASSOON TYPE Filed April 4, 1960 IN V EN TOR. J0 c/mon. A wfon 625% CM ATTfiKNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,094,032 Patented June 18, 1963 3,094,032 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OF THE BASSOON TYPE Roy Jackson Linton, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Linton Manufacturing Company, Inc., Elkhart, Ind. Filed Apr. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 19,885 8 Claims. (Cl. 84-380) This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments of the oboe or bassoon type. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a musical instrument of this type, the body or" which is formed of molded plastic and which includes a frictionally retained tuning slide and a frictionally retained housing therefor.

Second, to provide a musical instrument of the type having two side by side passages therein with a U-shaped tumng slide which may be quickly adjusted for tuning without the necessity for adjusting screws or other adjusting and securing means.

Third, to provide a musical instrument having the above stated structural features including a housing for the tuning slide which is entirely independent of the tuning slide but serves as a guard therefor and as an end thrust support member for the instrument.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a bassoon embodying my invention; only a portion of the valves and operating connections therefor commonly provided in instruments of this type being illustrated and the external contour of the body being conventionalized.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view with the tuning slide housing removed from the body of the instrument.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view with the body member and tuning slide housing in central longitudinal section; the tuning slide being shown in full lines.

FIG. 4 is -a cross sectional view on a line corresponding to line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on a line corresponding to line 55 of FIG. 4.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a bassoon and the body member of the instrument, designated generally by the numeral 1, is conventionalized, with only a portion of the valves designated by the numeral 2 being illustrated.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide an instrument in which the body is formed of molded thermo plastic material. The forming of the body of thermo plastic material is of substantial importance as it does not expand and contract with moisture or other conditions to which the instrument is subjected in use and that permits the use of tuning slide which is adjustably supported by friction.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the body member or unit 3 has parallel longitudinally extending sound wave conduits or passages 4 and 5. These passages or conduits 4 and 5 terminate at their outer ends in the tuning slide sockets 6 having shoulders 7 at the inner ends thereof. The body member 3 is provided with an external rabbet 8 terminating in the shoulder 9. The U-shaped tubular tuning slide 10 is of uniform diameter from end to end and has parallel arms which have a sliding frictional fit in the sockets 6, the fit being such that while the tuning slide is manually adjustable in the sockets, it is frictionally retained in its adjusted positions therein.

The forming of the body member 3 of molded plastic provides a unit which does not expand or contract as a result of moisture and temperature changes to which it is exposed as a result of weather conditions and use conditions.

The removable combined tuning slide housing and body end member 11 is friotionally engaged with the rabbeted end '8 of the body member 3 and serves as a housing and guard for the tuning slide being entirely out of contact therewith so that the tuning slide is protected from exterior stresses to which the housing may be subjected by accidentally bumping the housing against some object or when the instrument is supported in upright position or in inserting it in the casing, or other handling or manipulation.

As stated, the applicant has not illustrated numerous structural details of the instrument which form no part of applicants present invention, such for example as the number and arrangement of valves, finger pieces and the connection thereof to the valves.

The mouthpiece 12 and its connection 13 to the body of the instrument are conventionally illustrated.

The applicants structure permits quick and accurate tuning and without the aid of tools and there are no screws or like adjusting means which are commonly present in musical instruments of this type.

As stated, the forming of the body member of plastic makes it possible to dimension parts so that they have a friction tight sliding or telescoping fit, the fit being such that the tuning slide is frictionally retained in its adjusted position and the housing member therefor is also frictionally engaged and retained with the body member as is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

It is to be understood that applicants invention may be readily adapted to instruments of this type which are commercialized or known under other names.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other adaptations or embodiments which I contemplate, as I believe this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A musical instrument of the bassoon type comprising a unitary body end member of molded thermo plastic material and having two passages therein, each terminating at its outer end in a cylindrical socket of a diameter exceeding that of the passage, the inner ends of the sockets providing shoulder like tuning slide stops, said body member having an external rabbet at its outer end the inner end of which provides a thrust sustaining shoulder, a unitary U-shaped tubular tuning slide of metal having parallel arms telescopingly adjustable within said passage sockets, the lit of the arms of the tuning slide in said sockets being such that the slide is frictionally retained in its manually adjusted positions therein, and a removable combined tuning slide housing and body end member having a retaining frictional fit with the said rabbeted end of said body member when in seated engagement with the shoulder at the inner end thereof and constitutes an end thrust sustaining member for the instrument, said housing and body end member being dimensioned so that said slide does not contact therewith in any adjusted position of the slide.

2. A musical instrument of the bassoon type comprising a unitary body end member of molded thermo plastic material and having two passages therein opening at the end thereof, said body member having an external rabbet at its outer end the inner end of which provides a thrust sustaining shoulder, a unitary U-shaped tubular tuning slide of metal having parallel arms telescopingly adjustable within said passages the fit of the arms of the tuning slide in said passages being such that the slide is frictionally retained in its manually adjusted positions therein, and a removable combined tuning slide housing and body end member having a retaining frictional fit with the said rabbeted end of said body member when in seated engagement with the shoulder at the inner end thereof and constitutes an end thrust sustaining member for the instrument, said housing and body end member being dimensioned so that said slide does not contact therewith in any adjusted position of the slide.

3. A musical instrument of the bassoon type comprising a unitary body end member of molded thermo plastic material and having two passages therein, each terminating at its outer end in a cylindrical socket of a diameter exceeding that of the passage, the inner ends of the sockets providing shoulder like tuning slide stops, a unitary U-shaped tubular tuning slide of metal having parallel arms telescopingly adjustable within said passage sockets, the fit of the arms of the tuning slide in said sockets being such that the slide is frictionally retained in its manually adjusted positions therein, and a removable combined tuning slide housing and body end member having a retaining frictional fit with the end of said body member said housing and body end member being of such internal dimensions that said tuning slide does not contact therewith in any position of adjustment of the slide.

4. A musical instrument of the bassoon type comprising a unitary body end member of molded thermo plastic material and having two passages therein opening at the end thereof, a unitary U-shaped tubular tuning slide of metal having parallel arms telescopingly adjustable within said passages the fit of the arms of the tuning slide in said passages being such that the slide is frictionally retained in its manually adjusted positions therein, and a removable combined tuning slide housing and body end member having a retaining frictional fit with the end of said body member said housing and body end member being of such internal dimensions that said tuning slide does not contact therewith in any position of adjustment of the slide.

5. A musical instrument of the type described comprising a body member having two passages therein each terminating at its corresponding end in a cylindrical socket of a diameter exceeding that of the passage, the inner end of the socket constituting a stop for a tuning slide, said body member having an external stop spaced from the end thereof, a U-shaped tubular tuning slide, the arms of which are slidably adjustable Within said passages and have a frictional position retaining engagement with the walls thereof, and a removable tuning slide housing sleeved upon the end of said body member in frictional retaining engagement therewith and in thrust sustaining engagement with said stop thereon, said housing being dimensioned so that said slide does not contact therewith throughout the full range of tuning adjustment thereof.

6. A musical instrument of the type described comprising a body member having two passages therein, a U-shaped tubular tuning slide, the arms of which are slidably adjustable within said passages and have a frictional position retaining engagement with the walls thereof, and a removable tuning slide housing sleeved upon the end of said body member in frictional retaining engagement therewith and in thrust sustaining engagement with said stop thereon, said housing being dimensioned so that said slide does not contact therewith throughout the full range of tuning adjustment thereof.

7. A musical instrument of the type described comprising a body member having two passages therein each terminating at its corresponding end in a cylindrical socket of a diameter exceeding that of the passage, the inner end of the socket constituting a stop for a tuning slide, said body member having an external stop spaced from the end thereof, a U-shaped tubular tuning slide, the arms of which are slidably adjustable within said passages and have a frictional position retaining engagement with the walls thereof, and a housing for said tuning slide removably mounted on the end of said body member and independently of said tuning slide, said housing being of such internal dimensions that said tuning slide does not contact therewith throughout the adjustment of the slide.

8. A musical instrument of the type described comprising a body member having two passages therein, a U-shaped tubular tuning slide, the arms of which are slidably adjustable within said passages and have a frictional position retaining engagement with the walls thereof, and a housing for said tuning slide removably mounted on the end of said body member and independently of said tuning slide, said housing being of such internal dimensions that said tuning slide does not contact there with throughout the adjustment of the slide.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

1. A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OF THE BASSOON TYPE COMPRISING A UNITARY BODY END MEMBER OF MOLDED THERMO PLASTIC MATERIAL AND HAVING TWO PASSAGES THEREIN, EACH TERMINATING AT ITS OUTER END IN A CYLINDRICAL SOCKET OF A DIAMETER EXCEEDING THAT OF THE PASSAGE, THE INNER ENDS OF THE SOCKETS PROVIDING SHOULDER LIKE TUNING SLIDE STOPS, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING AN EXTERNAL RABBET AT ITS OUTER END THE INNER END OF WHICH PROVIDES A THRUST SUSTAINING SHOULDER, A UNITARY U-SHAPED TUBULAR TUNING SLIDE OF METAL HAVING A PARALLEL ARMS TELESCOPINGLY ADJUSTABLE WITHIN SAID PASSAGE SOCKETS, THE FIT OF THE ARMS OF THE TUNING SLIDE IN SAID SOCKETS BEING SUCH THAT THE SLIDE IS FRICTIONALLY RETAINED IN ITS MANUALLY ADJUSTED POSTIIONS THEREIN, AND A REMOVABLE COMBINED TUNING SLIDE HOUSING AND BODY END MEMBER HAVING A RETAINING FRICTIONAL FIT WITH THE SAID RABBETED END OF SAID BODY MEMBER WHEN IN SEATED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDER AT THE INNER END THEREOF AND CONSTITUTES AN END THRUST SUSTAINING MEMBER FOR THE INSTRUMENT, SAID HOUSING AND BODY END MEMBER BEING DIMENSIONED SO THAT SAID SLIDE DOES NOT CONTACT THEREWITH IN ANY ADJUSTED POSITIONED OF THE SLIDE. 